NW Outdoor Center

Whether you are looking for gear or parts for your kayak or just looking to rent a boat for a leisurely afternoon paddle, this is the best paddler's haven in Seattle. Not only do they have the obscure parts at reasonable prices (sometimes you just need to ask them - not everything is out), they are also very knowledgeable about anything kayak related. You can rent boats by the hour or by the day, with the ability to take the boat off-site and do your paddling somewhere besides Lake Union. Above all, these guys help newbies feel comfortable and never turn away regulars who just want a good place to launch their boat from. Go here for planned trips or classes. more

Northwest Outdor Center is great. They rent and sell kayaks, have classes, and do other things too. I highly recommend them. more

This place is fantastic. I recently had out-of town company and we went down to NWOC to rent kayaks in Lake Union for the afternoon. They were able to outfit us in all of the gear (without having a reservation), and were really patient in helping those who had never kayaked before. We had a great afternoon kayaking around, includeing paddleing over to Ivars and docking at their docks and having some fish and chips. (one of us stayed and watched the kayaks, of course.) When we returned the boats, we learned about a guided "sunset tour" that they put on, where you paddle through lake union and through the ballard locks and emerge in puget sound right in time to watch the sunset. They then pack up your boats for you, and give you some kind of shuttle back to your car. We didn't have time to do this, but I thought that it sounded like a really cool idea. We had a great afternoon, and these guys (and girls!) were so nice and helpfull to us. I highly recommend them! more

Northwest Outdoor Center (NWOC) offers awesome kayak lessons. If you've been wanting to give the sport a try, check out NWOC. Their fundamentals of sea kayaking class is a multi-day class consisting of classroom, rescue training (pool or Lake Union), Lake session (Lake Union) and an outing. This very thorough class includes all the basics including strokes, rescue techniques, gear and how to plan a trip (including tide charts, etc.). Very good and a great value at around $200. NWOC also has classes for more advanced kayakers, rentals and outings. more

need a cool idea for a nice day with nothing to do... why not rent some kayakas and tour lake union? It's great and it's a good way to get out and get some exercise. My wife and I went last summer and still frequently speak fondly of it, so much so that we have intentions of purchasing our own kayaks so that we always have the option (and when we do buy you can bet that we'll go to NW Outdoor Center to buy as well)... helpful staff who will show you the ropes so you can get on your way quickly even if you've never done it before. more

If you're interested in kayaks or just renting one, stop by NW Outdoor center on Lake Union. I was so impressed with the high-quality fiberglass single and double (and triple too) kayaks they use for rental. They're sleek, fast and so fun to paddle. It makes one fall in love with the sport. Many beach kayak rental companies rent out poor quality plastic kayaks which have high sidings that get blown around in the wind and are difficult to manuever. They also offer paddling classes and sell their equipment new and used. Ask them about their yearly sale on rental kayaks. If you've thought about giving kayaking a try, do it hear. Just request a fiberglass kayak at the time of reservation. For a real NW experience paddle down the canal and take a trip through the Ballard locks. Just listen for the instructions from the locks' captain as you approach. Happy Paddling! more